Saturday, October 30, 2010

Choosing Between a laptop and an iPad: A guide

Choosing Between a laptop and an iPad: A guide
One of the big questions many consumers are faced with today is whether to purchase a laptop or an iPad. We hope to take some of the pressure off and help make that decision easier for you in this guide. Since many of you are already more than well aware of what laptops can be [...]

One of the big questions many consumers are faced with today is whether to purchase a laptop or an iPad. We hope to take some of the pressure off and help make that decision easier for you in this guide. Since many of you are already more than well aware of what laptops can be used for we’ll do our best to give you more insight on why purchasing an iPad is also a wise decision.

For starters 2 of the most important questions are:

1) What exactly do I plan to use my laptop or iPad for?
2) What device will better fit my budget?

In regards to the first question, the most common answers would be for school and education, work related tasks, personal and entertainment. Similar to the average laptop on the market today the iPad is capable of performing very well in all of these areas. Forget what you’ve heard about the iPad being a device built and designed only for media and entertainment because that is not the case. Sure, when it comes to entertainment and multimedia the iPad really excels, however this tablet computer can do a lot more than just play videos. Another thing to consider is that although the iPad may still somewhat be in it’s infancy compared to laptops which have been around for many years now, with all the hype surrounding cloud computing it will open up the door to even more capabilities for current and future iPad users.

Using The iPad For School and Education

It’s no secret that the iPad was underrestimated by countless critics in the beginning but has proven to be one of the most advanced all-in-one computer devices we’ve ever seen.

Education has been taken to new heights thanks to the iPad. With it’s interactive design and touch-screen capabilities the iPad has opened the door to a whole new world of learning. Many studies have taken place over the years and it has been proven that people are able to retain information longer and also learn faster with training programs that combine sound, text and images.

Whether you’re a child just beginning to learn your ABC’s and some basic math skills, or an adult studying physics in college for example, interaction is the most important factor when it comes to learning and the iPad can be used as a tool for education on all levels either for homeschooling or in the classroom.

Many Universities are now accepting the iPad as a new type of device for education and are beginning to plan their courses around this. Of course laptops aren’t facing extinction yet but there does appear to be a transition taking place since the iPad tablet computer has surfaced.

Using The iPad On The Job

The iPad is breaking new ground when it comes to portable computing on the job. It’s diverse capabilities enable many jobs to be simplified which in turn results in better overall production and business. Of course laptops have evolved a great deal over the years and are used on the job quite often for many different things but there’s no denying that the iPad is effecting a plethora of industries in a positive way and much quicker than any other device that has been on the market up to this point.

Of course the list of industries that can and already are taking advantage of the iPad is practically endless, but let’s take waitressing just for example. More and more restaurants around the globe are now discovering the benefits of waitresses using the iPad not only to take orders from customers but also as a device that can accepts credit card payments. So in this case just like many others it’s multifunctional, quicker than traditional methods and also cuts costs while maintaining customer satisfaction.

Another area that is also enjoying the benefits the iPad has to offer is the medical industry. Once again in this case the iPad is being used to simplify common tasks that are important and critical in any hospital and helping doctors and other staff members to be more efficient which can result in better patient care and communication.

Music artists and DJ’s worldwide are starting to switch up their old bulky equipment for a brand new iPad which can do just as much, if not more, than common equipment and even laptops while being a lot lighter and more portable. DJ’s who travel and go on tour a lot especially find using the iPad to be cheaper and a more functional substitute to use for their performances. Since a lot of equipment such as turntables for example cost and weigh more the iPad is not only a cheaper device but also reduces traveling costs. There are advanced DJ and turntable apps available and unlike laptops the iPad can be used for this because of it’s user friendly touch screen.

There’s many other industries that are learning just how useful and user friendly the iPad is whether it be on a construction site, in the office, while on the go in your vehicle, while accessing computers remotely for technical support and as a communication device between fellow employees or even clients just to name a few.

Using The iPad For Personal Use And Entertainment

It’s no secret that the iPad is a powerhouse when it comes to games, media and entertainment. Although the iPad is smaller than a laptop it performs in a big way in these departments. There’s already a massive number of apps available for these purposes and that amount is growing at such a rapid rate as more developers join the scene. No matter what type of games you prefer you can almost guarantee you’ll find more than a few you’ll enjoy.

Each day you hear about more major entertainment and media companies launching their own custom iPad apps. If your favorite news outlet, whether it be for sports, technology or perhaps celebrity gossip, has an iPad app built you can enjoy staying on top of all the trends in fun and interactive fashion like never before. You can also enjoy watching movies, music videos and even your favorite tv shows straight from your iPad.

When it comes to other personal use there’s apps available for just about everything you can possibly imagine. You can keep track of personal schedules, budgeting and bills, stay in touch with friends and family through email, surf the web, interact using social media outlets and much more.

Many people raise the issue that the iPad does not have a built-in camera, however chances are that future versions will come equipped with one. Another thing to keep in mind is that professional photographers don’t use laptops for taking photos to begin with so it’s not as much of a downfall that some critics or iPad owners may like to claim. Either way you look at it the iPad would still be lighter and easier to snap photos with than a typical laptop.

What Device Will Better Fit My Budget: A laptop or iPad?

Since the iPad entered the market the cost of a new laptop computer has been dipping to a new low. In a lot of cases laptops are now just as cheap as a new Apple iPad and in some cases even cheaper. That should give you an idea of just how big of an impact the iPad is having on the portable computer market. Chances are as more iPad’s are sold the price for a new laptop will drop even more. Why pay $1,500 or more for a laptop when you can purchase a tablet computer that can do all the same things and in some cases even more for only half the price. This is what a lot of companies are beginning to realize which is why laptop prices are dropping so drastically.

Also, in a lot of ways it all depends on what you plan to use your iPad or laptop for and how long you plan on owning your newly purchased device. If you don’t plan to upgrade for a while, say for at least a year or more, perhaps purchasing an iPad is the better route to go since tablets are slowly but surely becomming the new trend. If you require a larger screen than the iPad you’re probably better off with a laptop, of course the price will most likely be higher.

We hope this guide has really helped and if you have any comments, questions or suggestions we’d love to hear them!




AnnaLynne McCord
Kate Beckinsale

No comments:

Post a Comment